Monument Trustees asked to consider hosting the annual Fourth of July fireworks display this year

If the fireworks aren't cancelled this year due to drought conditions Monument Lake might be the place to watch them.

The Palmer Lake Fireworks Committee has approached the Monument Board of Trustees about considering hosting the fireworks display this year. Bill Brown, fireworks committee member, went before the board at the Jan. 7 meeting and asked if the fireworks show could be moved to Monument.

Brown said the reason for the possible move is that it would be a better event if held in Monument because the parade and the street fair already take place in Monument.

“I think it would be good for the town as well,” Brown said.

Traditionally the fireworks have taken place in Palmer Lake but were cancelled last year because of the high fire danger and the lack of water in the lake. The Palmer Lake town council has said they could host the fireworks provided that there is water in the lake and as long as this summer isn't another high fire season. However there has been very little snowfall to ease the drought conditions and it looks like the lake will go another summer without any water.

The fireworks have taken place in Monument in the past.

Brown told the trustees that parking and viewing for the fireworks would be on Ernie Biggs property off of Mitchell Avenue with the fireworks set off over Monument Lake.

Monument Police Chief Jake Shirk voiced some concerns about Monument hosting the fireworks. He said if it's held at the lake there's only two ways in and out and that would be on Mitchell Avenue going northbound into Palmer Lake on a secondary road and the other one is through Second Street. He said the secondary road isn't capable of handling thousands of vehicles and exiting on Second Street there is the issue of the train.

“There would have to be somebody stationed at the train tracks because I could just imagine hundreds of cars backed up trying to go across Second (Street), they're on the train tracks and now a train comes and there's nowhere for these folks to get off these train tracks,” Shirk said, adding that it won't be a police officer stationed at the train track because they will be too busy.

Shirk was also concerned about the number of vehicles Biggs property would hold since there is an average of 25,000 people that come out to the fireworks show.

“I think there's potential but obviously there are some significant concerns that need to be addressed,” Mayor Travis Easton said.

Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Kaiser suggested that the committee sit down and talk with Shirk about the safety concerns and Trustee Raphael Dominguez would like the committee to discuss with the company that handles the fireworks as to whether or not that location is a safe place to shoot the fireworks off.